July 13, 2010

For Winnipeg and Toews, respect is mutual

Jonathan Toews' mother, Andree, stands while he sits with the Stanley Cup and his 3-year-old cousin, Madison Enns, on the municipal bus chartered to take the Hawks' captain and his family around Winnipeg for Sunday''s celebration (Chicago Tribune / Scott Strazzante)

By Philip Hersh

WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- The day before Jonathan Toews brought the Stanley Cup back to Winnipeg, a columnist for one of the city's newspapers, the Free Press, wrote a column calling the Hawks' captain ``The anti-LeBron.''

During my two days in Winnipeg for the Toews' celebration, it was pretty clear why the columnist -- and Winnipegers in general -- felt that way.

Toews may be a multimillionaire athlete, but he treated everyone -- even a couple squirrelly characters who approached him during the parade through his old neighborhood -- in a way that showed he saw their inner net worth as no less than his.

So insulated does James appear from the voices of the real world, even at age 25, that it was not surprising he would be deaf to the likelihood of a loudly negative public reaction over last week's self-aggrandizing TV announcement of ``The Decision'' to leave Cleveland for Miami. James, who wears a tattoo proclaiming himself ``Chosen 1,'' clearly was being manipulated by a posse of handlers, including sycophantic ESPN executives, who otherwise kowtow to his every wish.

(The idea that James had selflessly chosen winning over more money is laughably preposterous, given how much money he has made and will make for playing and endorsing.)

Toews, just 22, clearly takes his cues from a ``posse'' that Sunday consisted of his parents, 80-something paternal grandparents and some cousins. They all are the quintessence of western Canadians: open, welcoming, devoid of any pretense. That the Toews family arranged for a city bus with no extra frills to take them from place to place says it all.

When they arrived at Toews' old elementary school, he carried the Cup to pose for pictures with some youth hockey teams. One was the Dakota Lazers 1997 team (birth year determines youth hockey levels), which just had won a city title, just as Toews' had done as a 9-year-old. The prize for the title included a ring.

``Did you get your rings yet?'' Toews asked the team. One of the boys then noticed the impressive 2010 Olympic champion ring Toews was wearing, having just received it last week, and the boy asked if the Blackhawks' captain still had his Lazers' championship ring. When Toews answered yes, you could almost see the pride it gave the current Lazers to know a hockey superstar still prized his ring for a similar accomplishment.

Not all the thousands who lined the parade route came just to see the return of the native. For Lisa Wade, 38, it was a chance to see the Stanley Cup, ``something I never thought I would do in my life. It's like a dream.''

That a local boy made her dream come true was special. And Andrea Plett, 17, who stood Sunday morning on the steps of the Manitoba Legislature Building, where the premier officially named a lake for Toews, said she came because Toews ``makes me proud to be a Winnipeger.''

I saw all that myself and described much of in Monday's Tribune. Soon after, I got an email from the father of the 5-year-old boy, Nicholas Johnson, whom I quoted. With his permission, I am posting the bulk of Adam Johnson's email, because it gives further evidence of how Jonathan Toews has earned the appreciation and respect of his home town.

(A couple clarifications on the email, though: Toews had no bodyguards. A combination of city and NHL officials were the people trying to keep him on schedule. And the security was provided by a group of volunteers and the Winnipeg police, whose concern about fans getting hurt while looking for a chance to shake Toews' hand or take a picture or touch the Stanley Cup was no less than their concern for the hockey star.)

Adam Johnson's email:

``We had a wonderful day celebrating Jonathan Toews and his accomplishments. It started at City Hall, where we hung around after the ceremony and were lucky enough to get a couple of autographs.

``I was so impressed with Toews because he was signing autographs as fast as he could to try to make sure that no one who wanted one left without one. As his bodyguard told him, `Ok, Jonathan we really have to go,' he (Toews) regretfully said, `I'm really sorry you guys but I have to go.'I could tell by the look on his face that he actually meant it.

``We then made our way to Dakota Community Club (where you met my son) to watch yet another ceremony and hopefully have a chance at getting a picture with Toews and the cup. After the ceremony, we stood in a line with hundreds of people for a chance to meet our local hero.

``He was only supposed to sign autographs until 4 p.m., and when that time came, Nicholas, my brother, Tyler, and I were still a ways back in the line. We heard a security guard yell out to the area of the crowd that we were in that Toews was only going to be signing for 15 more minutes and therefore we should forget about getting our autographs and begin to leave. Quite a few people listened to his advice and left. We however did not and neither did Jonathan Toews!

``The 15 minutes came and went, and the line kept moving forward. At about 4:40, (we) were next in line to see Toews, when security finally said `That's it, he's done.' So close just to be turned away! I couldn't believe it, but just then, Jonathan Toews looked over and saw Nicholas standing there in his Toews jersey and what does he do? He walks right over to him, shakes his hand and signs his jersey while I snapped a photo.

``As I'm sure you already know, we take our hockey pretty seriously up here in Canada. We're very proud of Jonathan and all of his accomplishments but I can tell you as the father of a kid like Nicholas, we're even more proud of the role model that he's become and how `down to earth' he's remained through all of his success and his willingness to share his success with everyone in his hometown.''

Comments

And this is the primary difference between the athletes who play hockey and those who play the other professional and collegiate sports.

The vast majority of hockey players are decent down-to-earth guys and are just "one of us." The majority of the other sports' players believe they are above everyone else and don't have to live by the same rules and thus act that way.

Hockey players are not perfect, but athletes would be much better perceived if they acted like the hockey players.

The best sports story I have ever read.
These guys are entertainers who happen to be great athletes with God given abilities.
Jonathon Toews understands this, as do a great many hockey players.
Thanks to Mr and Mrs Toews for giving us a great guy.
This story should be required reading for every athlete in all of sports.
Thanks Phil.

About the author

Philip Hersh grew up in Boston but has lived in Evanston since 1977. He has worked at the Tribune since 1984 and has focused on international sports and the Olympics since 1987. In 2011, the German sports publication, SportIntern, named Hersh among the most influential people in world sports, the 11th time he has earned that annual recognition. He was graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in French and a specialization in early 19th Century French literature. Prior to joining the Tribune, Hersh worked for the Gloucester, Mass., Daily Times, the Baltimore Evening Sun, the Chicago Daily News and the Chicago Sun-Times.